When One Journey Opens Another Door
From Malawi to Mozambique — and a New Chapter with JCG.
Sometimes, a business journey takes you somewhere you did not expect.
You meet someone because of one transaction.
You work together on one project.
You face challenges together.
And then, months later, that relationship opens another door.
This is the story of Bruno De Morais and me.
But more importantly, it is a story about how one business journey can create the foundation for another.
First Met Bruno and A New Chapter in Mozambique
I came to know Bruno through Alice Stambuli.
He had previously worked for Alice and was part of the Malawi team that travelled with her to Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore last July as we explored the Urea 46N opportunity for Malawi.
Those journeys allowed us to work together in person.
When you work on an international commodity transaction, you quickly realise that there is much more involved than finding a buyer and a seller.
And sometimes, you need someone who understands what is happening on the ground.
That is where people like Bruno can make a difference.
After the trip, Bruno eventually decided to leave his previous position in Malawi and return to Mozambique.
For him, this was the beginning of a new chapter.
And for JCG, it created an opportunity to work together in a different way.
Bruno is now starting a new chapter as a team member working with JCG in Africa. One of the first opportunities we are working on together is sourcing Copper Cathodes from Zambia.
His role is not simply to introduce a supplier. He will help follow up on the order and production on the ground in Zambia, stay close to the supply process, and follow the shipment through to the loading port in Beira, Mozambique.
For me, this is important.
Because international commodity trading does not happen only on a computer screen. Eventually, someone needs to be there, to see what is happening, follow up and understand the local environment.
That local connection can be just as important as the transaction itself.
Connecting Copper Cathodes in Zambia
Some of the world’s major sources of Copper Cathodes are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and South Africa.
The Zambia Copper Cathode opportunity is perfectly aligned with our Strategic Commodity Portfolio, and it also reminded me of something I have increasingly come to appreciate in commodity trading:
In this case, the journey connects Zambia, Mozambique and the wider world, with JCG coordinating the relationships and Bruno providing local follow-up on the ground.
This is the kind of network I want JCG to continue building.
Not simply a list of contacts.
But people who can contribute something meaningful to a transaction.
Another Role in the Malawi Agriculture Project
At the same time, Bruno is also becoming involved in another project that is very important to me — our developing Malawi Agricultural Fertiliser & Food Security Programme.
The project started with a commodity requirement for Urea 46N.
But as we continued working through the project, there were questions around financing, logistics, delivery, custody and payment.
One of the ideas we are now exploring is using a warehouse in Beira, Mozambique as a custody location for the shipment while the relevant payment arrangements with the Malawi Government are completed.
Before relying on any warehouse arrangement, however, due diligence needs to come first. Bruno will therefore follow up with the COSCO warehouse in Beira and conduct due diligence to confirm that the facility is active and suitable for the intended purpose.
This is another example of why having someone on the ground matters.
We need to understand what is actually there, how it operates and whether it can support the transaction.
Trust is built by verification.
Something Bruno Said Made Me Think
During one of our conversations, Bruno gave me an idea that stayed with me.
He said:
“Jenny, don't be just focused on the Malawi Government. All the countries in the SADC region use fertiliser in massive quantities!”
I stopped and thought about that.
He was right to challenge my perspective.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a 16-member intergovernmental organisation that promotes regional economic integration, peace, and security in Southern Africa.
Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
According to the SADC Macroeconomic Statistics Bulletin, the region's combined population reached approximately 412.4 million in 2024 (SADC, 2026). I see a great opportunity to bring my work in Commodity RWA, Food Security and UN SDG 2 to the wider SADC region.
I was focused on Malawi. Bruno made me see the wider SADC opportunity. Let’s build it step by step, together, and welcome people globally who want to contribute.
Malawi is one market.
But the broader regional opportunity can be much larger.
People Are Part of the Supply Chain
The more I work in commodities, the more I realise that supply chains are not only about physical infrastructure.
They are also about people.
A factory needs someone to coordinate production.
A shipment needs someone to follow the logistics.
A warehouse needs to be verified.
A buyer needs to be understood.
A government requirement needs to be properly communicated.
A transaction needs people who can connect different parts of the process.
This is why I increasingly think about JCG's network differently.
I don't want to build a network simply because having a large contact list looks impressive.
I want to build a network of people who can add real value to a transaction.
That is much more valuable than simply having another name in an address book.
From One Journey to Another
When I look back, Bruno came into my story through the Malawi fertiliser journey.
That journey brought us to Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore, where we got to know each other in person.
And now, it has opened another door — this time connecting Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, JCG and the wider world.
That is what I find interesting about international business.
You may start with one commodity.
But behind that commodity are people.
Behind the people are relationships.
Behind the relationships are opportunities.
And sometimes, behind one opportunity is a much bigger journey waiting to be discovered.
The commodity is important.
But the people who make the journey possible are just as important.
For JCG, this is another chapter in building meaningful connections between commodities, people and markets across Africa and beyond.
And I have a feeling this is only the beginning.
Reference:
Southern African Development Community (SADC) (2026) SADC Macroeconomic Statistics Bulletin Year 2024. Gaborone: SADC Secretariat. Available at: https://www.sadc.int/file/11811 (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
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